Reading Crown Court heard how Mr Beben, a Polish national, let an outbuilding from Bennett adjacent to a privately-owned house she rented through Reading Borough Council.

Bennett woke neighbours at 4am, banging on their doors and saying she wanted them to witness her set fire to the building, before coming out of her home with a burning, scrunched-up piece of paper.

Sally Mealing-Mcleod, prosecuting, said: “The fire was started in the entrance and an open staircase acted as a chimney, drawing the fire upstairs to where Mr Beben was sleeping.

“The fire officer concludes that the fire was caused by a lighter, matches or lit taper.”

Mr Beben leapt out of a first floor window to escape the flames and was taken to hospital with burns to his hands, both legs and buttocks and smoke inhalation.

Bennett called the police as the fire took hold and told the operator: “I have just set my shed alight because the Polish b****** is in there.”

Witnesses recalled Bennett earlier arguing with two men before banging on doors, throwing bins around and repeatedly yelling, “Get out, **** off, and I’m going to kill you.”

Following her arrest Bennett denied being drunk and said Mr Beben did not pay any rent and the argument had been over his drinking. She added the fire may have been caused by him smoking a cigarette.

The court heard Bennett had 22 previous convictions and turned to drink after the relationship with the father of her five children broke down and her children were placed in his mother’s care.

Nadia Chbat, defending, said Bennett was a victim of domestic violence and disputed claims in a pre-sentence report that she had a “pattern of violent offending”.

She went on: “She has no relevant convictions [for violence] although she accepts one for criminal damage. All the other matters are related to her alcohol issues.”

Judge Morris handed Bennett an indeterminate sentence to serve a minimum of six years, serving half on licence, before being eligible for parole should she no longer be a risk to the public.

She added if Bennett is released she will remain on licence for life unless an order is made by the Secretary of State for Justice after 10 years.

She said: “I take the view that having regard to everything that I have seen and heard about the defendant, including her past offending behaviour and the circumstances in which this offence was committed, that there are sufficient factors that satisfy me that she is dangerous and there is significant risk to the public of death or serious personal injury being caused by her committing further offences.”

After the hearing DC Emma Wright, who led the investigation, said: “This was a truly shocking case and the consequences are obvious and had it been a few minutes longer we could have had a fatality.”